Learning spaces and collaborative work: barriers or supports?

Drawing on 18 months of fieldwork, this article discusses the use of physical, virtual and social space to support collaborative work in translator education programs. The study adopted a contrastive ethnography approach that incorporated single- and multiple-case design rationales for site selection. Extended observation, informal chats and semi-structured interviews were used to examine space and collaborative learning at two translation programs - one in Spain and the other in Australia. The study revealed that students were innovative in their exploitation of virtual space when physical space was limited. Interestingly, even when ample physical space was available to support collaborative work, virtual space continued to be the preferred method of collaboration. These findings highlight the need for higher education programs to include various dynamic spaces for the completion of collaborative work, with flexible virtual spaces being of particular importance.